The spirit of Christmas filled the air as members of the Twentieth Century Club arrived at the home of hostess Mrs. Merle Cross. Rolinda Shipp served as co-hostess. Hot cranberry wassail and cheese wafers were served prior to the call to order by President Jean Hamil. Member Raye White gave the invocation, a Christmas Prayer by Robert Lewis Stephenson. In the absence of recording secretary Abby Stewart, Assistant Recording Secretary Sandy Dean called the roll with members responding by completing the phrase “All I Want for Christmas Is.....”. The overwhelmingly popular response was to be with their family.

The day’s program was a monologue by Dr. David Jenkins. Dr. Jenkins began his presentation by sharing that his first speaking engagement when he arrived as the new pastor of First Baptist Church in Gilmer in 1977 was at a Twentieth Century Club Christmas meeting at the home of a former member, the late Kathryn Porter. Since that time he has generously given a number of programs to the club. Today’s Biblical monologue would be a little different from his previous ones, Dr. Jenkins explained. He normally based monologues on historical information present in the Bible but today’s would be primarily fictional speculation on the childhood of Jesus Christ since little is known about his early years. From Jesus’s perspective Dr. Jenkins described the frustration Jesus felt over his siblings jealousy of him during his childhood. At an early age, Jesus was performing miracles and his siblings and school friends resented his special gifts. Even his mother and stepfather Joseph did not understand their son. Consequently, Jesus was lonely as a child, rejected by the ones he loved, but forgiving from a very early age.

At the conclusion of his moving presentation, member Annette Breazeale led the group in singing a medley of Christmas carols accompanied by Dr. Jenkins on the piano. Following the cheerful melodies, Mrs. Cross invited guests to the beautifully appointed dining table where they were served shrimp mousse, Mediterranean marinated olives, crunchy spiced pecans, tomato and cheese croutes, cucumber party sandwiches, and winter spiced cakes, Christmas tree and peppermint snowflake cookies, Christmas petit fours, spiced tea and coffee.

To conclude the Christmas celebration members held their annual Christmas ornament exchange and the hostesses presented each member with a beautifully decorated package containing a hand painted votive candle holder.